French mobile operator SFR conducts secure payment trials

Baltimore Technologies and Atos Origin have signed an agreement with French mobile operator SFR to provide technology that will allow subscribers to digitally sign transactions using mobile handsets.

The technology will be tested during 4-month pilot project which will assess the use of mobile handsets for remote payments, credit top ups, authentication to loyalty programmes and premium content.

Baltimore's Telepathy software, a wireless extension of its flagship UniCERT PKI product, allows digital certificates and public key cryptography to be integrated into existing mobile phone networks. The solution is also designed to support current GSM and next generation networks.

Atos Origin will provide the gateway and host the platform for the project and French smart card vendor Gemplus will supply SIM PK cards and signature verification, S@T and OTA servers.